


Sunflower Seeds

by seoscripture



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Art School, Alternate Universe - College/University, Anxiety, Architect Chan, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mentions of alcohol, One-Sided Attraction, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Painter Changbin, Why is tagging so difficult
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:15:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23960668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seoscripture/pseuds/seoscripture
Summary: “Shit,” the boy cursed as he checked the time on his phone. "Well, it was nice to meet you Changbin. I hope I’ll see you around again." The boy in gray pushed back from the table, got up from his seat and walked away. Changbin's eyes followed Chan across the cafe and realized that besides the other boy, he was the only one left. Chan looked back and gave Changbin a wave.The boy in glasses shyly waved back and was about to open his book when he saw Chan disappear out the door with a black North Face book bag slung over his shoulder. Changbin frowned. Hadn’t the other boy said he didn’t have a bag? Did he really hate sunflower seeds or did he want an excuse to talk to him? He stared at the small red and white bag on the table. Whatever it was, it didn't matter.Changbin loved sunflower seeds.
Relationships: Bang Chan & Seo Changbin, Bang Chan/Seo Changbin, Han Jisung | Han/Kim Seungmin, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	Sunflower Seeds

**Author's Note:**

> Had this idea when I was in a hella dark place and just wanted to draft something but it turned out to be a full fledged idea who would've known *insert clown emoji* Please enjoy this emotional fluffy angsty(?) rollercoaster.

It was five minutes until Fei’s Cafe closed and Changbin was buried in a book. He only started this morning, already making up to page one-hundred in the two-hundred twenty-four page novel. Fei’s was his favorite place to sip some cocoa and get lost in a story, especially since no one stayed past 8pm. Occupied by the words on the page, Changbin didn’t notice a figure approaching him from the side.

"Hey uh, do you like sunflower seeds?" the boy in the gray sweatsuit asked, holding an unopened bag of Original David's sunflower seeds towards Changbin.

Changbin jumped up startled and paused his reading. He looked up at the other with sheepish eyes.

“Oh my God sorry I didn’t mean to scare you,” he put up his hands as if he were telling Changbin to relax. “I just— I don’t really eat them much. My friend gave them to me since he didn’t like them either,” he added, nervously itching the back of his head.

"Um… sure. Thanks.” Changbin said after his heartbeat returned to a calmer state.

The boy in gray was about to hand the other the sunflower seeds but hesitated, sitting down in the white chair across from him instead.

"Hi, I'm Chan," he said a bit nervously. "I felt it was rude — I just came up to talk to you without introducing myself." He stuck out his hand for a handshake with a smile.

The boy across from Chan slowly put a bookmark in his book and set it on the table. "H-hi, I'm Changbin," he stuttered. Changbin hesitantly took Chan's hand and shook it timidly, pushing up his glasses after shaking it.

Chan and Changbin stared at each other awkwardly in silence; Chan humming while nodding his head, toying with the bag of seeds on the table.

"I'm sorry, I don't talk much." Changbin pushed up his black round-rimmed glasses then set his hands in his lap under the table.

Chan smiled at the sheepish boy across from him. "That's okay. I'm actually kind of busy today so I can't stay too long. I just needed to get these sunflower seeds off my hands since I don't have a backpack with me." Chan slid the bag across the table. "Um, I haven't seen you around before. Are you a freshman?" He leaned forward and folded his hands on the table.

Changbin shook his head. "No I'm a junior," he replied.

“Shit,” the boy cursed as he checked the time on his phone. "Well, it was nice to meet you Changbin. I hope I’ll see you around again." The boy in gray pushed back from the table, got up from his seat and walked away. Changbin's eyes followed Chan across the cafe and realized that besides the other boy, he was the only one left. Chan looked back and gave Changbin a wave. The boy in glasses shyly waved back and was about to open his book when he saw Chan disappear out the door with a black North Face book bag slung over his shoulder. Changbin frowned. Hadn’t the other boy said he didn’t have a bag? Did he really hate sunflower seeds or did he want an excuse to talk to him? He stared at the small red and white bag on the table. Whatever it was, it didn't matter.

Changbin loved sunflower seeds.

It was around 10pm when Changbin finally left the deserted cafe. After putting his book, glasses, and sunflower seeds inside of his book bag, he got up from his seat, put on his coat, and said goodbye to the student worker cleaning tables.

"Hey Changbin,” said one of the workers as he was about to leave, “don't pressure yourself too much. Get some sleep yeah?"

"Thank you," Changbin nodded shyly. "You too, Seungmin." Changbin exited the cafe while Seungmin went back to closing up shop.

The air was cold even for January. Changbin nestled in his black coat and pulled the faux fur hood over his head. YCA was a medium sized campus in Newburgh, NY. Although it was an art school built in the early 1900's, the buildings were state of the art, equipped with 3D printers, metal, wood work, and ceramic spaces, and elaborate studios for painting and the performing arts. The school was famous for its architecture, graphic design, and painting majors, with its graduates becoming world renowned professors, architects and artists. Changbin didn't know how he managed to get into one of the most elite art schools in the country but here he was. All he wanted to do was paint, wherever and whenever.

Changbin lived only a ten minute walk from the cafe in dorm Nicé, a residential building that housed mainly painting, illustration, and art history majors. For some reason, YCA liked their students to mix and mingle between majors; this was probably specifically so introverted students like Changbin to get to know others that also attended the college. Changbin always enjoyed the walk from the cafe to his dorm. He walked the same route every time — he would make two lefts, walk through a garden tended by the green thumb club, and there he would be in front of the red brick layered building. That was the only time where he could be alone in thought, with the exception of when painting.

January rarely brought snow, but flurried flakes managed to land softly on his lashes, coating them in a delicate layer of icy crystals. With every step, Changbin disturbed the flakes on the ground leaving behind footprints as he trekked through the garden. While walking under the dim street lamps, he thought about the boy in gray that came up to him not too long ago. It was the first time someone besides Seungmin had distracted him from his book since he first started frequenting the cafe. Changbin was always a shy kid, always keeping to himself and eating sunflower seeds or reading books during recess. He didn't consider himself an interesting person to talk to, much less give snacks to. Perhaps Chan was the same way.

Changbin finally reached his room after the short walk from the cafe. His walls were sparsely decorated, as all of his paintings were at his house a half hour away. Unlike his old roommate Hyunjin, Changbin kept things clean and he liked it that way. Ears and nose burning from the cold, he undressed, changed into comfortable sleeping clothes, and did his nightly routine. Before tucking himself into bed however, he took the sunflower seeds out of his book bag and set them on his desk. It wasn't long before Changbin drifted off to sleep. No thoughts, head just thinking about the boy and the sunflower seeds.

✿✿✿✿✿✿

The next day, Changbin returned to the cafe after the academic day ended. It was the first week of class and luckily no teachers had started lecturing or assigned any work. That meant more time for Changbin to get lost in a book at his favorite spot in the cafe: the third table on the right from the entrance, right next to the window where the streetlamp illuminated the road after dusk. He ordered his usual drink, a white chocolate raspberry hot cocoa with coconut milk. Seungmin always made it with the right amount of syrup and frothed milk, and Changbin refused to have anyone else make it for him. It was almost like Seungmin sprinkled in pieces of his kind heart into every drink. Changbin wouldn't have it any other way.

Seungmin came over and sat the drink down in front of the boy buried in his book. "Here's your special order, your highness." Seungmin teased, placing a napkin next to the hot chocolate.

Changbin rolled his eyes and looked up at the sophomore. "Thank you, my faithful servant. You may now return to your quarters," he pestered, hitting Seungmin on the arm playfully.

"How's your week going so far?" Seungmin asked, leaning on the empty chair across from Changbin.

Changbin closed his book and sighed. "Fine I guess. Besides receiving some sunflower seeds from that boy yesterday."

"The kid wearing gray? Hmm, I guess he bought them for you, because," Seungmin paused dramatically, "he purchased them right before talking to you."

Changbin's eyes widened. "Is that so?" He looked up at Seungmin in wonder. "Well, I don't know what to say."

"Well you have a chance to say something because here he comes now." Seungmin glanced in the direction of the doorway. "I'll leave you two."

Seungmin walked away from a panicking Changbin. "Seungmin, wait! You know I hate talking to strangers-" Seungmin tossed him a teasing smile and winked as he walked away to continue closing up shop. Changbin scurried to pretend he was reading his book before the boy could notice him, however he clumsily knocked over the cup of cocoa on the table.

_What a way to bring attention to yourself, Changbin,_ he thought as he gathered the napkins to begin wiping up the spill.

"Seems you made quite the mess." Chan walked over to Changbin's table to find a portion of it doused with liquid and set his bag next to the chair. "Hold on I'll get you some more napkins."

Changbin wasn't sure why the boy was being so nice to someone he barely met. Compared to himself, who was the most introverted out of his group of introverted friends, Chan, he figured, had to have been the opposite.

"Here." Chan poured some water from his water bottle onto the brown paper napkins. "So he doesn't have to do more work." He motioned to Seungmin who was busy cleaning up the bar for closing.

"Thanks." Changbin took the napkins and began cleaning. As much as Changbin didn't want to have a conversation, Chan sat down across from Changbin anyways.

"I didn't think I'd find you here again," he began, piling the cocoa soaked napkins to the side.

Changbin finished wiping the table and checked his cup to see if there was any more hot chocolate left. "Yea,” he said shyly. “I come here often."

"I'm sorry about your drink." Chan fiddled with his hands. "What was it?"

"White chocolate raspberry hot chocolate with coconut milk." Changbin uttered, still staring at the half empty cup.

"Well on the bright side, you still have a little left right?" Chan said with a smile.

"Yea, I guess."

Chan noticed the slightly sullen expression on Changbin's face. He wasn't sure if Changbin wanted to be left alone or if he was upset over his spilled drink. Perhaps it was both. "Well, sorry to disturb you again, but I had to leave in a hurry yesterday," He explained. "I saw you sitting alone and I just wanted to say hi, that's all."

Changbin eyes glanced up at Chan. "Thanks. I really like sunflower seeds," he said, picking up the cup and taking a sip of what was left of the warm drink. Changbin had to thank him again, especially since sunflower seeds were his comfort snack.

"You said you were a junior right?" Chan rested his elbows on the cafe table. He wore a different sweatsuit this time; it was all black.

"Yes," Changbin responded, fidgeting with the binding of the book on his lap.

"What's your major?" Chan asked curiously.

"Painting." Changbin answered.

"Ooh one of my friends is a painting major! His name is Jisung, do you know him? I think he’s a sophomore though." Chan exclaimed, having met another artist major.

"I think he was in one of my classes last semester. We haven’t talked that much though."

"I'll have to introduce you two then!" Chan exclaimed. _Great, another friend._ Changbin thought. But maybe it wouldn't hurt? Changbin only had Seungmin as a close friend and he wasn't in any clubs on campus and didn’t have a job because he lived so close to home. Besides, perhaps him and Jisung could relate on some level; they were both painting majors after all.

"That'd be nice, thank you." Changbin took another sip of his cocoa, staring at the table in awkwardness. Mustering up confidence, he asked the boy across from him, "Um, what's your major?"

"Architecture. It's my senior year though, so I'm focusing on my minors ceramics and history." Chan explained.

"That seems nice. Architecture is really hard from what I've heard." Changbin said.

"It's a bitch sometimes but hey,” he flashed Changbin a smile, “it's what I like doing."  
The two boys noticed a shadow creeping over the table, concealing the streetlamp's already dim light shining through the window.

"Sorry lovebirds, but we're closing right now." Seungmin said smiling, wiping his hands on a towel.

"My bad, sorry to hold you up. I shall get going." Chan hurriedly stood up, grabbed his book bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Nice to see you again, Changbin." He gave the boy a smile, his eyes matching the grin on his lips. Perhaps Chan didn't notice the way Seungmin said "lovebirds," but Changbin did and his heart skipped a beat. Was it out of affection or nervousness? Changbin wouldn't know until later.

"You too." Changbin said quietly as he watched Chan exit the doors of the cafe. It was similar to his view from yesterday except that the boy wore all black and blended into the night faster than he could blink.

"That includes you too." Seungmin emphasized, taking Changbin's almost empty cup of cocoa and the pile of soiled napkins off the table.

"Hey! I wasn't finished!" Changbin protested, reaching for the cup.

"You hate cold drinks, remember?" Seungmin winked, putting the napkins into the cup for faster cleanup.

"Whatever," Changbin rolled his eyes, not wanting Seungmin to know he was right. They'd been best friends since middle school, of course he'd know Changbin's ins and outs by now. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Changbin took off his glasses and stuck the case and his book in his bag. He tried to grab something else off the table and looked longingly at the spot where the bag rested the day before. There were no sunflower seeds to put in. He zipped up the dark brown Jansport and headed out of the cafe, making his usual ten minute trek to his dorm.

"Get some rest yeah?" Seungmin called after him while he left. Changbin scoffed. As if the graphic design major got any sleep himself.

That night, Changbin laid in bed thinking about Chan, the boy who hated sunflower seeds.

_How could anyone hate sunflower seeds?_ he thought to himself. Changbin never knew someone that didn't like sunflower seeds. Well, actually, there was a kid that used to bully him in elementary school that hated them, except the kid lowkey had a crush on him and needed every excuse to get close to the shy, artsy boy. Maybe it was because Changbin had such a strong attachment to sunflower seeds that it blew his mind if he knew anyone who didn't like them. If he was honest, he didn't want to befriend Chan just for that reason.

Changbin took off his glasses and placed them on the bedside table, but not before glancing at the time on his phone.

_1:27am_ it read.

_Changbin, will you stop thinking and go to sleep. You know you're always late to everything._ He turned over on his other side and started counting backwards from one-thousand by sevens, something his father taught him when he couldn't put his mind to rest. Before Changbin could even reach the eight-hundred range, he was fast asleep. It always worked, like a charm.

✿✿✿✿✿✿

Changbin woke up at 9:30. Much to his dismay; his class started at 10, and it took him at least forty-five minutes to do his morning routine — a third of which consisted of lying in bed for an extra fifteen minutes. Changbin cursed as he sprinted out of bed and rushed to the bathroom he shared with the three other boys in the suite. Unfortunately, he couldn't carry out his morning duties in solitude as one of his suitemates was already in the bathroom brushing his teeth.

"Morning Changbin,” the boy smirked, holding a red toothbrush that matched the vivid dye in his hair. “Late again huh?"

"Shut up Jeongin," Changbin snapped back as he oozed toothpaste onto his brush. "I have time."  
Changbin brushed his teeth and washed his face in a hurry, occasionally flicking water on Jeongin whenever he said something smart. Jeongin was a freshman art education major at YCA. When he first arrived to Nicé, Changbin thought he was the shyest boy ever, even more timid than Changbin himself. However, Jeongin soon broke out of his shell and socialized with everyone in the dorm. Everyone adored his endearing smile and the braces that peeked through. Changbin was actually a bit jealous of Jeongin. He got along with everyone and participated in multiple events and educational clubs on campus. Jeongin was the type of person that could go up to someone and just start a conversation. Very similar to someone Changbin just met not too long ago...

It was 9:45 when Changbin raced out of his dorm. He hated running with a passion, most likely due to the fact that he never participated in much physical activity as a kid, so he sped walked to central campus. He didn’t want to embarrass himself by sprinting across campus. Changbin was already self-conscious enough. It was embarrassing for other college students to see you be late for class anyways.

YCA had only seven academic buildings: architecture, sculpture and ceramic works; performing arts, photography, and filmmaking; game design, graphic design, animation, and illustration; and painting and other fine arts comprising four of the seven. The other three were for general education and concentration classes. Sadly, Changbin's class was in building three, the farthest building away from Nicé; a twenty two minute walk to be exact.

Changbin arrived at the building at 10:04 and tiredly walked up the three flights of stairs to lecture hall 307. Sweating and out of breath, he took deep breaths so when he walked into class the other students wouldn't know that he practically ran a mile (or what felt like it) to make it to class

He slowly opened the door to the lecture hall and slipped inside. The room was packed to the brim. Almost every seat was taken, filled by students sitting in front of stapled syllabi, pencil cases with aesthetic stationary and book bags with artistic pins. Changbin scanned the room to see if there were any more seats in the back before making his way to the front. He was already distressed enough by being late, he didn't want to attract any more attention to himself. Fortunately there was a seat in the second to last row of the hall. He squeezed by a couple of students who were already falling asleep and tapped a boy with his book bag and coat on an empty seat.

"I'm sorry, is this seat taken?" Changbin asked in a whisper, bending down so the students not paying attention in the back row could see the smart board. The boy in the hoodie resting his head on his hand diverted his attention to Changbin's question.

"Nope, you can sit," the boy said, turning to his side and removing his belongings from the chair. Changbin slid into the seat, took off his coat, and quietly put his bag on the floor.

"Need a syllabus?" The boy to his left turned to him holding an extra copy of the schedule. Changbin's face lit up in shock. It was the one and only kid that came to the cafe and gave him sunflower seeds.

It was Chan.

**Author's Note:**

> So that was the first chapter! It'll get better as the story progresses I promise :) 
> 
> For my weebs did you catch the T.G snippet? Kudos if you did. 
> 
> I'm slow asf when it comes to writing but this will get completed no cap :D


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